The Ro-Ro route between Port Tarragona and Turkey celebrates the success of its first year

During that time the sea line with the Port of Izmir has transported a total of 16,150 ITUs

The new trade route has opened up a very interesting market for the Port and the whole region

The first service on the ro-ro route between the ports of Tarragona and Izmir was launched on February 10, 2021, becoming a success in less than a year. In the first twelve months of operation it has transported a total of 16,150 ITUs (Intermodal Transport Units).

Import figures are the highest with a total of 8,502 ITUs and an occupancy of around 90%. Exports (from Tarragona to Turkey) have continued to consolidate over the months and this is where the commercial department is currently focusing on attracting more cargo. A total of 7,648 ITUs has been shipped between Tarragona and Turkey, 80% to 90% of the line's capacity.

This new line has also aroused the interest of many companies in the territory that see how this service can help with their internationalisation, thanks to the high frequency and speed of shipment.

The ro-ro line generates new intermodal services

The ro-ro route is an interesting solution for the container sector due to the high cost of freight and the lack of availability of empty equipment. The success of the line is also due to the railway connections from the Port of Tarragona to the centre of the Iberian Peninsula, Antwerp and Ludwigshafen.

Thanks to this service, Tarragona is the Spanish port with the fastest connection to Turkey, just 2.5 days, and since it is a ro-ro connection it offers extremely competitive and agile door-to-door times.

The operation begins with the departure of the vessel from Turkey on Sundays and its arrival in Tarragona two and a half days later on Tuesday night. This enables the lorries to reach the logistics facilities in the interior of Spain in the early hours of Wednesday. In the other direction, they can pick up anywhere in Spain up to Wednesday afternoon and deliver to any point in Turkey the following Monday.

An opportunity for the region

EKOL Logistics is the lead company on this route with the participation of the DFDS shipping company, Grup Arola and the Euroports terminal in the Port of Tarragona. This synergy between the companies and actors involved allows connections with Turkey of just 60 hours and door-to-door logistics times of only 96 hours from anywhere in Spain to anywhere in Turkey.

This new service has seen a clear upward trend since its launch with the increase in overall service occupancy improving the efficiency per ITU.

The trade route with Turkey has opened up a very interesting market for Port Tarragona and its territory. It is also a major opportunity for other companies interested in exporting to Turkey.